CAPITAL REGION Growth seen in sales tax receipts Several counties OK, others hurt
MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Schenectady County saw the largest growth in sales tax receipts in the Capital Region in 2008 while Fulton County had the largest decrease, according to state figures. Schenectady County’s $85.9 million is the largest amount it has collected to date, according to records. “Our percentage increase is well above the state average, and the seventh highest in the state,” said Ray Gillen, commissioner of economic development and planning for Schenectady County. “There is a ripple effect to this,” he said. The ripple effect is that the city of Schenectady and the towns and villages will split $544,000 in sales tax revenues, in addition to their guaranteed awards of $11 million and $7.8 million, respectively. The sales tax in the county is 8 percent with the state getting 4 percent of this total. This is the first time they are receiving extra sale tax revenue under a sharing formula. However, it is the only year they will share the extra receipts under the formula, as it was eliminated under a new agreement. Schenectady County’s total represents an increase of 5.86 percent from 2007’s total. Fulton County’s total of $17.6 million is down 1.69 percent from the prior year. OTHER COUNTIES Saratoga County finished the year with $96.8 million in sales tax receipts, up 2.38 percent; Albany County’s year-end total was $237 million, up 2.97 percent; and Montgomery County’s was $25.5, up 4.97 percent. Schoharie County had the second greatest decrease, 1.52 percent, in its total sales tax receipts for 2008, $13.4 million. It also had the worst fourth-quarter drop in sales tax receipts, 14.45 percent, of counties in the region. Schoharie County Treasurer William Cherry said the decline will not have a major impact as long the county’s annual receipts stay around $13.7 million. “If it remains in that range, the mid-$13 millions, we’ll be fi ne and we’ll tighten our belt and hold the line on spending,” Cherry said. He called the fourth-quarter results the worst he has ever seen. Fulton County interim Treasurer Michelle Ippoliti said Fulton County’s 2008 sales tax total “obviously reflects the economic downturn.” Sales tax in Fulton County is apportioned differently from most other counties in the Capital Region. The cities of Gloversville and Johnstown both receive only the sales tax generated inside their borders while the rest of the money is pooled and divided between the county government and the towns and villages. The city of Johnstown actually saw a $34,361 increase in sales tax receipts year-over-year for the fourth quarter, while Gloversville was socked with a $77,284 decrease. Johnstown city Treasurer Mike Gifford said the city’s 2008 total sales tax income was $3.1 million, flat from 2007. He said he suspects an increased number of retail stores on Route 30A may have helped the city’s fourth-quarter numbers. “Rather than pump gas in the car and drive to Albany maybe people were buying more locally, but that’s a guess,” Gifford said. Gillen said Schenectady County’s sale tax boost is due to the benefits of economic development efforts begun 10 years ago and continued by the Metroplex Development Authority, of which he is chair. Metroplex has helped revitalize the city’s downtown and brought new jobs and development to the towns. In Schenectady, the county shares tax receipts with the towns and villages, giving them a guarantee of $7.8 million. It also gives the city a guaranteed $11 million annually. It keeps the remainder. The towns and villages also receive a portion of the sales tax used to fund the Metroplex Development Authority. Under this agreement, the towns and villages will receive a record total of $3.3 million for 2008. They have received a total of $29 million since Metroplex was started in 1999. Metroplex receives one-half of 1 percent of the sales tax. It retains 70 percent of that and distributes 30 percent to the towns and villages. Under a new four-year agreement signed last year, the county guaranteed the city will continue to receive $11 million and the towns and villages $7.8 million annually. It also agreed to give the city an extra $25,000 per year, on top of the previous year’s $25,000, for a total of $250,000 during the term of....................
More phony baloney. This has to do with the fuel surtax of heating oil, which the County continued {despite Ang's best efforts} as well as high gasoline prices over the Summer. Sickening but typical that Death Ray is running around taking bows for something he had nothing to do with. Sales tax revenues from Downtown are way down. 7 restaurants closed there last year alone. The Gazetto still refuses to print that Parisi's Steakhouse {N. Broadway} closed permanently on Nov 1st. The TU stated that it is closed for remodeling. Neither got it right.
If sales taxes ARE going up faster than any other county, WHY are property tax rates and spending going up faster than any other county? Because the clowns running that place can't control their own largess, and need to create BS jobs for their buddies and cronies. We should get a tax CUT instead we get a giant tax INCREASE. THANKS SAVAGE, Tony and Judy, for your spending package including your PR man, special events man, and legislature clerks every 3 feet.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
If sales taxes ARE going up faster than any other county, WHY are property tax rates and spending going up faster than any other county? Because the clowns running that place can't control their own largess, and need to create BS jobs for their buddies and cronies. We should get a tax CUT instead we get a giant tax INCREASE. THANKS SAVAGE, Tony and Judy, for your spending package including your PR man, special events man, and legislature clerks every 3 feet.
Right on. Things are so great we have to raise Property taxes COUNTYWIDE 9.3%! In a recession! When every neighboring County cut property taxes. Blame State Mandates the stupid sheeple will fall for it here. Slash some lob jobs starting with Lumpy Kosiur, the pr idiot McQueen, and the "special events coordinator". All City library branches should have been closed 2 years ago. This story is an outrage. These Krats refuse to budget refuse- to cut anything-and then feed us this idiotic disinformation.
EXACTLY!!! There they go again, handing out their rose colored glasses through the gazette. How can the sheople buy this? What is Schenectady, the only county in the country where people are out spending MORE money to stimulate the economy? I DON'T THINK SO!!
The only lucrative business in Schenectady is the drug dealing business! And their ain't no taxes being collected there!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Thats right you keep knocking the success that these hard workers have had in the county but it shows how the new team has done the job and losers and repubs have flubbed it all over there. STOP WITH THE CRITICS END IT NOW
SHUT UP And realize who is IN POWER, you people want us to go broke? We need to get along and go along with the rpresident and the congressman so thank god we have Mrs Tonko and Schumer to help us and god forbid that we get this tedisc in there to ruin things for us and bring down the aid we need from the federals. WE NEED THE HELP and speaking against the leadership {you claim it is legal I say it illegal and should be } is KILLING US AND BRAKING US DOWN finance - wise You people better wake up and do your math
we can "do our math," but the so called leaders can't seem to.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
SHUT UP And realize who is IN POWER, you people want us to go broke? We need to get along and go along with the rpresident and the congressman so thank god we have Mrs Tonko and Schumer to help us and god forbid that we get this tedisc in there to ruin things for us and bring down the aid we need from the federals. WE NEED THE HELP and speaking against the leadership {you claim it is legal I say it illegal and should be } is KILLING US AND BRAKING US DOWN finance - wise You people better wake up and do your math
WHY do we need the help.....what is the cancer eating at this county????? there are fees/taxes all over......show me the $$ trail Sal...
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I reckon the leaders cant add and the ones who can are ignored, called names and persecuted.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Logged
More phony baloney. This has to do with the fuel surtax of heating oil, which the County continued {despite Ang's best efforts} as well as high gasoline prices over the Summer. Sickening but typical that Death Ray is running around taking bows for something he had nothing to do with. Sales tax revenues from Downtown are way down. 7 restaurants closed there last year alone. The Gazetto still refuses to print that Parisi's Steakhouse {N. Broadway} closed permanently on Nov 1st. The TU stated that it is closed for remodeling. Neither got it right.
